The Beach
by Po and Tigress
Summary: Po asks Tigress out on a date to the beach, but during their date, a tragic event happens that will scar both for life. Good or Bad? Both? Read on to find out...


The Beach 

It was an average late summer day in the Valley of Peace. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and everyone was about their normal life. Well, almost everyone. There was a certain young panda, on the cliff with the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom on it. Some might think that he was thinking about his girlfriend, Tigress. Others might think food. But in reality, he was thinking about the events the previous night. His name is Po, and this, is his story.

Everything was going smoothly in the Valley of Peace. Po was able to get the night off from Master Shifu, along with Tigress, but she didn't know yet, because tonight was their 2 year anniversary of being together. Po was planning to ask her an important question tonight, since Shifu told her that she could have the hour right after lunch off of training. She had hesitated at first, but eventually gave in.

Now, he needed to ask her something super important. But… how, exactly? The question rumbled through Po's head several times, before it hit him. Although, once it did, he felt like a complete idiot. Well, first, he knew that Tigress was on 'break', and that even though she actually she had the entire night off, but Po was going to tell her _that_. Also, she was probably meditating, or studying a scroll in her room.

Po stood to his feet and dashed to the barracks. After minutes of stumbling over rocks and twigs, he finally reached their hallway. Once he got to the other side of it, he knocked on Tigress's door. After a few seconds, she opened the door casually, and asked, "What is, Po? You know I don't have all day."

"Well, as you might be quite aware of, tonight, is our 2nd year anniversary of being together… and I was wondering… if you'd like… to go out… tonight… to the beach?"

"Po, are you nuts? Shifu, he'll-"

"Don't worry about that. I already have it taken care of. Oh, and by the way, he's giving both of us the night off."

"What? Then why didn't he tell _me_?"

"Because, I said I would do it."

"Oh, then I'd love to go to the beach with you tonight."

Tigress then hugged Po as tight as she could, without suffocating him, and kissed him. After it was over, Po asked, "So, where and when do you want to meet up?"

"How 'bout the Peach Tree at 6."

"Don't you think that's kinda early?"

"Sure, if you could run fast."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Po said obnoxiously.

"Well, I'm just stating the facts"

He sighed. "I guess you're right. So, do you want me to tell the others?"

"Sure." Tigress then kissed him passionately for a few minutes, before saying a final 'bye'.

WITH PO

Po ran as fast as he could to the training hall, where everyone else was, well everyone but Shifu and of course, Tigress. When he finally got there, he threw the doors open, and yelled, "HEY GUYS!"

Obviously, this got every one's attention. "WHAT?!" they said all said in unison.

"Guess what!"

"What'd you do?" Crane asked.

"Ok, so you know that tonight is Tigress's and mine 2 year anniversary."

"Yea, so?"

"So… she and I are going out tonight, and Shifu said it was fine."

"Did he give you two the night off?"

"Yep."

"Lucky. So, where are you two love birds going?"

"The beach."

"The beach? Why?"

"Well… I was planning to take her onto the rocks and-" Po was cut off by Shifu, who had just walked in.

"And aside from Po, the rest of you are supposed to be training."

"Yes, Master Shifu." They all said, before going back to training.

THAT NIGHT AT THE PEACH TREE

"Ugh, where is she? She should have been here 20 minutes ago."

"Don't worry, Po. Viper's just sometimes slow."

"Tigress?"

"No, Viper. She's helping Tigress get ready."

"But why-"

"Don't ask. I have no… clue." The moment Crane saw Tigress walking that way, his jaw dropped to a 90*angle.

"Crane? What are you-oh… my… god. No way."

The reason they were so shocked, was because Tigress was in a pink sundress, with a black and white Chinese dragons on the sides that went down to her knees, along with a little blush, a small amount of gold eye shadow, black eyeliner, and red lipstick and nails on.

Tigress was also surprised when she saw Po, because he was wearing a black tux, and was holding a yellow tulip for her.

When she finally got over there, Po complimented her, and took her hand in his.

"So, shall we go?"

"We shall," she said, smiling as they left to go to the beach. "Oh," she added, "and tell Master Shifu that we'll be back by midnight," she said to the others, as she walked off with Po.

AT THE BEACH

When they finally got there, Po and Tigress sat down on a picnic blanket, which had a picnic basket on it, containing their food. He set up their dinner, and they started to eat, while talking pretty much nothing.

Once finished, Po packed up all the dirty dishes, and blanket, and said, "You know, Tigress… there's a much better way to watch the sunset tonight."

"And that would be?"

"Well, we _could_ go up on the rocks over there." He said, pointing over to them, which she had just noticed.

"Po, if you expect me to go up onto those, which appear to be sticking out into the water several hundred feet, then it's a death wish."

"Come on! You won't fall, I promise." Po said, giving her that look, that she could never say no to.

"Oh, alright." Tigress said, grabbing his hand, and they walked together down the beach, over to the rocks.

It took a while, but eventually they got down to the end of the strip of rocks, and they sat right next to one another, with Tigress's head resting on Po's shoulder, both watching the sunset.

When the sun had just started to disappear under the horizon, Po lifted Tigress's head off his shoulder, and started speaking, "Tigress, for the past year, I've been waiting for the perfect moment to ask you, and now that I finally have it, I need to ask you it. Oh, and also, I've also checked with Master Shifu, and he's fine with it."

"Well, then what is it?"

Po kneeled down, took out a small black box, and said the next five words like they were his life, and said, "Tigress, will you marry me?" before opening it, which contained a sapphire ring, her birthstone, and appeared to be 2-3 carat.

"Oh my god, Po. It-it's beautiful," she smiled, and let a few tears of joy roll down her cheeks, before finally saying, "Of course I'll merry you," and wrapping her arms around his neck, and saying, "Do you know how long I've waited for you to say that?"

"A year?"

"Yes." She said, before pulling him into a long, passionate kiss, that lasted about 7 minutes, before they broke it to get some air. Tigress then slipped the ring on, only to discover, it fit perfectly.

Once the sun set, Po stood, and held out his hand for Tigress. She took it and stood. Well, sort of. She was standing up, when, suddenly she slipped into the water, scrapping both of her legs and most of both arms, on both sides.

Blood was spilling out into the ocean, and for the first time since the defeat of Lord Shen, he showed pain. She began to slightly cry to herself, when Po finally calmed down, and asked her, "Tigress, can you slip out one of your arms so I can grab it, and try to pull you out?"

"I'll… try." She said, and is just a few seconds, her left arm was free. "Now, can you get your other one out as well?"

"Maybe." And in just a minute, both arms were free, but were dripping with blood. "Alright, work with me here. I need you to hold as tightly as possible. It's the only way I'll be able to at least try to get you out."

"OK. I'll try."

After a while, she was out, but her dress was torn, and she was covered in blood and seawater. "Tigress, could you extend your arms again?"

"Um… sure." She said, as she extended he arms towards him, as he grabbed them and asked, "Tigress, do you think you can stand?"

"Po, when all my legs are scratched up and covered in blood, what do you think?"

"I suppose not…"

"Really, caption obvious?"

"Ok, so I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, but remember, it's the thought that counts."

"I guess. But, if I can't walk, what are you going to do about it?"

"OK, now, you can't kill me for this, alright?"

"Fine. Now, what are going to do?"

Po dropped her arms, and started to pick her up bridal style until she slapped him. "Po, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Well, what do you think? If you can't walk, the least I could do, is carry you back to the palace."

"But what about the food?"

"I'll come back tomorrow for it."

"Po, it's dark for one, and two, we're still out here on the rocks. And with you carrying me, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I'm afraid you'll fall. I mean, these rocks aren't very wide."

"I'll be careful. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Well, if you say so."

"I don't just say so. I know so. OK, hun?"

"OK."

Po carried her to the palace, even though it took him an hour and a half to do so, he knew it was the least he could do, like he said earlier.

Once they got there, it was about 9, and so everyone was in the dining room, while Viper cooked. Po stumbled in there, as if it hurt to walk, and it did. The moment everyone saw Tigress, their expressions were like when Po wasn't hungry.

The bleeding was so severe that there was still some dripping from her limbs. But, before anyone could speak, Shifu walked into the room, and one, saw Tigress's condition, and two, the sapphire ring on her finger.

"Po, what happened?" he said, trying to keep calm.

"Well, um we had a picnic on the beach and then I took her out onto the rocks to watch the sunset-"

"You were that retarded? I told you not to!"

"Well, um, I thought we would have a better view of the sunset, because it would be by the water."

"Po, how stupid can you get? Besides we need to get her to the bath house to wash off all the blood."

Once they were there, Po set her down, so that she was sitting to the edge of the tub.

"Now, I'm going down to the village to get some gauze and anti-bacterial ointment for you, Tigress. Po, you rinse off all the blood. OK?" Shifu said as calmly as possibly, as he turned to leave, but then stopped for a second and asked, "Oh, and Tigress, isn't your height 5' 6 ½"?"

"Yes, Master."

"Ok, just checking."

Once he left, Po turned to Tigress and asked her, "Are you OK?"

"Yea, just in a little pain, that's all."

"A little? You scraped both of your arms _and_ legs on both sides. That's got to hurt."

"Well, 22 years of training finally paid off."

Po lifted her chin and looked at her dead in the eyes. "Tigress, you can tell me anything. I won't be mad."

"OK, so I'm in a little more pain. So?"

"Tigress…"

"What?"

"You and I both know that's not the complete truth. Now, just tell me."

"Po… I-I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, whenever I admit that I'm in pain of any sort, it feels like I'm weak."

"Tigress, we both know that you never have or will be weak."

"OK, well you could say it burns like hell."

"And I'm surprised you're not crying."

To Po, it felt like Tigress came back from Alabama to Gibb slap him. "What'd you think? When was the last time I cried?"

"OW!" Po sighed before continuing, "Tonight."

"Before that!"

"Well, um…"

"Exactly. You don't remember because the last time I really did, was when I was 4 at the Bau Gu Orphanage."

"Oh, right."

There for a couple of minutes there was and awkward silence, that is, until Po broke it saying, "Um, Tigress? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Well, until you fell, did you enjoy tonight?"

"Po, of course I did. I was with you."

"He, true. Well, same here."

There was another awkward silence until Po said, "Well, I should start rinsing off the blood."

He rinsed it all off just in time, because then Shifu walked in.

"I'm actually kinda surprised, because you usually put everything off 'til the last second." Shifu stated, as he walked in.

Once Tigress was all bandaged up, Shifu handed her crutches that fit her just perfectly, and she made her way into the kitchen, were everyone was. When she got in there, Mantis saw her, and decided to get smart and said, "Welcome to the Jade Palace, crippled old lady!" and then fell over laughing.

Since it would take Tigress a minute to get back at him, Po went ahead and whacked Mantis for doing so.

After dinner, Tigress made her way to her and Po's new bedroom, and changed into her night gown. Just a minute later, Po came in and they both went to bed.

Tigress didn't return to her regular training 'til several weeks later, when she had fully recovered. Her and Po's wedding was 2 months later, and even though they could go on a honeymoon, because staying with their family was good enough for them.

**Thanks for reading, and please review. XD **


End file.
